Denver Cost of Living 2026 | Study Abroad

Denver’s price level is 100% of the United States average, so day-to-day costs are on the national benchmark. That gives you a useful starting point when comparing study budgets across cities.

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Price level, against the United States

100%

A basket of goods costing $100 in the United States costs about $100 in United States, at market exchange rates. This is a whole-economy average from the World Bank (2023), not a student budget — rent near a university and a student's own habits move it a long way in both directions.

The price level figure shows Denver at the same overall level as the United States average in 2023. It is a broad comparison, not a full student budget, so it helps with context but does not tell you what one person will spend on every line item.

For a student, the biggest budget movers are usually housing, food, transport, and other everyday spending. Because the price level is an overall measure, it does not separate those costs, so two students can face very different monthly totals even in the same city.

Denver has three universities listed here: University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and Colorado State University Global. With English as the language and the U.S. dollar as the currency, it is straightforward to compare your costs with other U.S. study options.

If you are planning for 2026, the clearest takeaway is that Denver sits at the national price level rather than above or below it. For a student budget, that means you should compare individual expenses carefully instead of relying on a single city-wide average.